TFA INSIDER | Vol. 3

• TEA
• IN CONVERSATION
• WITH KATHLEEN REID AND STEFANIE PURIFICATI

INSIDE THE RISE OF TWO TRAILBLAZING FEMALE AGENTS BEHIND CANADA'S MUSIC INDUSTRY

Can you share the story of how you got into the music industry and what drew you specifically to becoming an agent?

Kathleen: I got my start in music while I was in university - I was the VP of Student Life and booked shows for orientation and throughout the year at Dalhousie. I got to know a lot of agents early on by booking their bands. I remember a distinct moment when I was on the phone with a legacy agent who had been doing it for a long time. We went back and forth negotiating a show deal, and I thought to myself - that's something I could do really well. I want to be on the other side of it. It's really all I've ever wanted to do since I was 19 years old, so failure wasn't an option. Looking back, it's really cool to see those agents become my peers and, in some cases, my competition. It's something that still drives me to this day.

Stefanie: I got the bug for live music when I was 13 years old in Timmins, ON, working various punk and rock shows that my best friend's older brother would bring to town. If I wasn't working the show, I was attending - and I was always trying to find ways to help the bands. I graduated from university with a degree in Linguistics, and a friend told me about a music industry school. I thought, "THAT'S what I want to do."

My first real industry job was as the in-house talent booker for the Drake Hotel when it first opened. I had zero qualifications and talked my way into the job. It was a fantastically wild and crazy time. It was getting to know the agents with whom I was doing business that made me think "Now that is something I would be good at." I've always had a knack for sales, relationship-building, and talent development, so when an assistant position opened at The Agency Group, I knew that was the track I wanted to take.

As one of the very few women in agent roles in Canada, what responsibility do you feel - if any - to pave the way for others?

Kathleen: I feel immense pride to hold one of those titles and a huge responsibility to mentor the next generation. It's why I took on the role of Managing Director with TFA. In my current position, I'm responsible for hiring and mentoring our junior staff. I feel accountable for their success and for building talent from within the company. As a contributing member of the management team at TFA, I'm working to build a top-level team where everyone is playing to win.

L-R: KATHLEEN REID - STEFANIE PURIFICATI

How have you balanced ambition with patience in such a competitive industry?

Stefanie: I've always had an unfailing belief in myself, that everything is going to work out the way I planned it, so I try not to spend too much time looking over other people's fences. Focusing on my clients and their careers, building my own relationships, helping amplify marginalized voices, and just doing the damn work has opened a lot of doors for me and afforded me plenty of opportunities. Set goals for yourself, build a work-back plan, and execute the steps.